Kelowna Impound: What to Check Before You Drive Anywhere

Car gone in Kelowna? Before you get a ride across town, find out who ordered the tow. The City of Kelowna says every City-directed tow is stored at 3075 Sexsmith Road. A tow ordered by police, a strata or a private lot owner may sit somewhere else. Call the Kelowna RCMP non-emergency line at 250-762-3300 if you have no clue at all. Sentinel Towing does not do impounds.

Why does it matter who ordered the tow?

Kelowna doesn't have one single tow yard for every car. The lot your car went to depends on who called the truck. Consumer Protection BC lists the usual ones: a city, a private property owner, a strata, a parking operator, police, or the Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

A ride to the wrong place costs you time and cab fare. So spend five minutes on the phone first. Here is how to sort it out.

• There's a ticket or notice on the ground or on the curb. Read the back. The City says the department that issued it is listed there.
• You parked at a condo, an apartment, a plaza or a store. That's private property. The City doesn't tow there. Look for the tow sign at the lot entrance.
• Police stopped you and handed you a Notice of Impoundment. That's a provincial impound. Keep the paper with you.
• You have nothing at all. Call 250-762-3300. If no one towed it, your car may be stolen. Report it.

Where do City of Kelowna tows go?

This is the easy case. The City's parking page says one contractor handles all City-directed tows. It also says all towed vehicles are stored at 3075 Sexsmith Road. The contractor's phone number is on the City's parking tickets and violations page. Call before you go. The City says to ask them about pricing and what papers you need.

Why would the City tow you?

The City lists three main reasons a car may be towed:

• It blocks a driveway.
• It looks abandoned.
• It's parked in a restricted or no parking area.

A few City rules catch people off guard. On a street with no time signs, you can park for up to 24 hours. After that, you're breaking the rule. Where a Do Not Park sign is posted, even a short stop counts. A car left in a loading zone with no loading going on may be ticketed or towed. And a boat trailer can't sit on its own on a City street or lot. It has to stay hitched to the vehicle.

These rules come from Kelowna's Traffic Bylaw No. 8120, Part 04. The City sums them up on its parking page.

What if you parked downtown by the lake?

Say you spent a summer evening downtown near the water. You come back to the pay lot and your stall is empty. Before you assume the City took it, figure out what kind of lot it was.

• A City pay lot, parkade or metered street. These are run by Kelowna Parking. Call 250-862-8585. The City lists that line for 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• A hotel, condo, restaurant or shop lot. That's private. The City says private lots are managed by the strata or the property manager, not by the City.
• A street spot with time signs in a neighborhood. That's Parking Services. Call 250-469-8400.

Private lots are where people get stuck. The City's bylaw officers can't tow or act on parking problems on private property. So a car towed from a private lot is not a City tow. The Sexsmith Road address may not apply. Take a photo of the sign at the lot entrance. Consumer Protection BC says posted signs often show the time limits and towing notices.

Still lost? The tow company can often tell you who asked for the tow. Consumer Protection BC says that's a good place to start.

What if you broke down on Highway 97?

Maybe your car quit on Harvey Avenue in Central City traffic, or near the Bennett Bridge. You left it in a pullout to go get help. When you come back, it's gone.

The City's tow page talks about City-directed tows. A tow off a busy highway may have been ordered by police or by the province instead. Consumer Protection BC lists both police and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit as groups that may order a tow. No official page we found says which lot those cars go to. So don't guess. Call the Kelowna RCMP non-emergency line at 250-762-3300 and ask if your plate was towed.

The detachment is at 1190 Richter Street. If you were in a crash and anyone is hurt, call 911 first. Deal with the car later.

What happens with a police impound in BC?

Some impounds have nothing to do with parking. RoadSafetyBC says police must impound a car when the driver is caught doing certain things. These include:

• Driving while prohibited or suspended.
• Street racing or stunt driving.
• Going more than 40 km/h over the limit.
• Driving without a valid license, or with the wrong class.
• Driving while affected by alcohol or drugs.

The driver gets a Notice of Impoundment. If you own the car but weren't driving, the province mails you a copy. The car stays put for the whole period. The day it's towed doesn't count. Day 1 starts at midnight that night. The province says a 7-day impound usually means 9 days of storage charges.

These provincial rules don't cover City or private tows. RoadSafetyBC says its rates don't apply to parking or abandoned car impounds.

What do you bring to pick up an impounded car?

For a provincial impound, RoadSafetyBC says the registered owner must do four things:

1. Show up at the lot in person.
2. Bring valid government photo ID.
3. Pay all towing and storage fees.
4. Have a licensed driver along if you don't hold a valid license.

Can't go yourself? Fill out the Owner's Authorization Form (MV2712). Send it to RoadSafetyBC with a copy of your ID and your Notice of Impoundment. It can take up to 3 business days, so do it early. The person you send needs their own driver's license and the payment.

If your release day lands on a weekend or a holiday, call the lot to ask about pickup. For a City tow, the City says to call the contractor first about price and papers. For a private tow, ask the tow company for a clear list of every fee. Keep every receipt.

Who pays, and can you push back?

RoadSafetyBC is clear. The registered owner pays all towing and storage costs, even if someone else was driving. You may be able to get that money back from the driver with a civil claim.

You can ask for a review only if the impound is longer than 7 days. You must apply within 15 days of the impound date. You still pay the fees, win or lose. If your car was stolen and then impounded, police may allow an early release once you report the theft. The fees are still yours.

Don't leave a car sitting. If no one claims it, the province says the lot can sell or dispose of it. If you still owe money after that, the lot can ask for a hold on your driver's license. You can't renew it until the debt is paid.

For a private tow fight, Consumer Protection BC says it does not regulate towing. It points people to the Civil Resolution Tribunal when they can't settle it with the tow company.

What if your car won't start once it's released?

A car that sat in a Kelowna lot through a cold snap may have a flat battery by pickup day. If the lot lets a roadside truck in, a jump start may get you going. If the car can't be driven, a car tow can take it home or to your shop.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We text you the price and lock it before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until your driver gets there. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. For Kelowna roads from Glenmore to the Mission, see our Kelowna towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Kelowna Impound Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: City of Kelowna: parking tickets and violations, City of Kelowna: parking enforcement, City of Kelowna: police services, RoadSafetyBC: Vehicle Impoundment Program, Consumer Protection BC: towing.